1. (n.)lantern a transparent or translucent, usu. portable, case for enclosing a light and protecting it from the wind, rain, etc.
2. lantern the chamber at the top of a lighthouse, surrounding the light.
3. lantern a structure with open or windowed sides on top of a roof or dome, admitting light or air to the enclosed area below.
4. lantern any light, decorative structure of relatively small size crowning a roof, dome, etc.
Etymology: (1250–1300; ME lanterne < L lanterna (< Etruscan) < Gk lamptēr lamp, light)
Definition of 'lantern'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (noun)lantern light in a transparent protective case
Definition of 'lantern'
Webster Dictionary
1. (noun)lantern something inclosing a light, and protecting it from wind, rain, etc. ; -- sometimes portable, as a closed vessel or case of horn, perforated tin, glass, oiled paper, or other material, having a lamp or candle within; sometimes fixed, as the glazed inclosure of a street light, or of a lighthouse light
2. (noun)lantern an open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light and air to the interior
3. (noun)lantern a cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open below into the building or tower which it crowns
4. (noun)lantern a smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one, for ornament, or to admit light; such as the lantern of the cupola of the Capitol at Washington, or that of the Florence cathedral
5. (noun)lantern a lantern pinion or trundle wheel. See Lantern pinion (below)
6. (noun)lantern a kind of cage inserted in a stuffing box and surrounding a piston rod, to separate the packing into two parts and form a chamber between for the reception of steam, etc. ; -- called also lantern brass
7. (noun)lantern a perforated barrel to form a core upon
Definitions of lantern 
Afrikaans: lantern
Arabic: فانوس
Bulgarian: фенер
Brazilian: lanterna
Czech: lucerna
German: die Laterne
Danish: lanterne
Greek: φαναράκι
Spanish: linterna, farol
Estonian: latern
Farsi: فانوس
Finnish: lyhty
French: lanterne
Hebrew: פַּנָס
Hindi: लालटेन
Croatian: lanterna
Hungarian: lámpás
Indonesian: lentera
Icelandic: ljósker
Italian: lanterna
Japanese: 手さげランプ
Korean: 랜턴
Lithuanian: žibintas, žibintuvas
Latvian: laterna; lākturis
Malay: tanglung
Dutch: lantaarn
Norwegian: lykt, lanterne
Polish: latarnia
Persian: فانوس
Pashto: فانوس،
Portuguese: lanterna
Romanian: felinar
Russian: фонарь
Slovak: lucerna
Slovenian: svetilka
Serbian: fenjer
Swedish: lykta, lanterna
Thai: ตะเกียง
Turkish: fener
Taiwanese: 燈籠
Ukrainian: ліхтар
Urdu: لالٹین
Vietnamese: đèn lồng; đèn xách
Chinese: 灯笼
